Silicon semiconductor processing has evolved sophisticated operations for fabricating integrated circuits. As advancement in fabrication process technology continues, the core and Input/Output (I/O) operating voltages of integrated circuits have decreased. However, operating voltages of auxiliary devices have remained about the same. The auxiliary devices include devices interfaced to the integrated circuits. For example, the auxiliary devices may be printers, scanners, disk drives, tape drives, microphones, speakers, or cameras.
An integrated circuit may include an interconnected array of active and passive elements, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, and inductors, integrated with or deposited on a substrate by a series of compatible processes. The auxiliary devices may operate at voltages above a breakdown voltage of the transistors contained within the integrated circuit. As the operating voltages applied to the transistors increase, the transistors will eventually breakdown allowing an uncontrollable increase in current. Examples of the detrimental effects of breakdown may include punch-through, avalanche breakdown, and gate oxide breakdown to provide some examples. Furthermore, operating above the breakdown voltage for a significant duration reduces the lifetime of the transistors.